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City Center Bishop Ranch hosts 24 food and drink outlets to entice those who crave burgers, ramen, draft beer and pretzels, skewers, curry, and much more.
Dining out pairs well with shopping and entertainment at City Center. Hunting for the latest fashions and exercising at a fitness studio can trigger thirst. Kids get hungry at the central Alexander Square playground. A classic date night features dinner and a movie. The only issue is choosing where to eat or order takeout. There are 24 retail stores with an equal number of food and drink options plus 16 experiential and wellness outlets.
When City Center opened in 2018, several restaurants enticed Tri-Valley residents to visit. Among the early providers of food and drink, according to Bishop Ranch staff, were Slanted Door, Delarosa, Mendocino Farms, and THE LOT restaurant next to the cinema, renamed ZENTRL.
With two dozen dining options ranging from high-end restaurants to fast casual spots and a brewpub, I dropped by City Center three times with a focus on food. I bypassed chain restaurants with a national footprint such as Starbucks, Salt & Straw ice cream, and Mendocino Farms and chose food from several outlets operating largely in the Bay Area.
In 2019, Slanted Door’s arrival was a major news story for the Tri-Valley. Owner Charles Phan chose to expand here after 24 years in San Francisco. When the doors opened in San Ramon, he already held national acclaim and had sparked interest in fine Vietnamese dining. I was pleased to eat Phan’s papaya salad and shaking beef at City Center without a trip to the city. Though Phan died in January, Slanted Door continues to present an innovative menu and offers weekend brunch.
Phan launched the trend for high profile restaurateurs to select City Center for expansion. The most recent is Alora Social, a year after sister restaurant Alora made a splash with Mediterranean coastal cuisine on San Francisco’s Embarcadero. Anu and Vikram Bhambri also own Michelin-noted ROOH in San Francisco that serves Indian cuisine and others in the Bay Area.
Asked why he chose San Ramon, Vikram Bhambri said, “Our friends and family live near here, and City Center is community oriented. Tweaking the original Alora menu, Executive Chef Nicholas Peters added more shareable plates and pasta.” The bowl of frutti di mare seafood pasta my friend ordered nearly capsized with all the octopus, shrimp, mussels and clams among the long tubes of bucatini.
Our meal started with several dips and spreads followed by a pair of mezze appetizers, falafel and octopus. The kumpir, a Turkish street cart style baked potato with pickled cabbage, corn, olives and red peppers, was a meal unto itself. We almost ordered ladolemono chicken souvlaki, a Greek chicken dish with salads, but saved room for dessert. The chocolate baklava resembled a rich, crunchy brownie with chocolate sauce. As one who appreciates the rose scents and flavors in Turkish cuisine, I enjoyed the rose pistachio latte and Persian Sunset cocktail with gin, pomegranate and apricot purée, lime, and rose water.”
On another visit, a friend and I sat on the patio, serenaded by a musician playing Spanish jazz. My friend sipped a Ruby & The Phoenix with a date garnish and declared, “I now know that a reduction of Chambord Raspberry liqueur pairs well with a Bourbon-forward cocktail.”
Opened in 2021, LB Steak is a destination restaurant in City Center. For those seeking a value meal, the weekday Happy Hour in the lounge and bar is an excellent choice. The half-pound Wagyu burger and fries and Korean chicken wings are only $12; fritto misto with crispy calamari and prawns are only $6, and a selection of drinks are reduced price. On the weekends, brunch is served, and on Sunday nights, wine under $500 a bottle is half-priced.
On a recent early Sunday dinner, we kept appetizers at a minimum because we envisioned sharing a big steak. But we could not resist the shrimp toast served on crispy kale. We ogled at the meat options from boneless ribeye and filet mignon to the Japanese Wagyu flight. Our served Mike told us he sells an average of one 48-ounce Tomahawk steak per night usually to a crowd but occasionally for a courageous and hungry single diner. Mike’s service was professional and attentive.
Upon a credible recommendation, we shared the 14-ounce LB Signature Australian Wagyu with house made marinade. The Wagyu was deliciously tender. I learned later the marinade recipe was soy-based with white miso, maple, and almond chili crunch. The four salts on the plate, Malden from England, Hawaiian pink, smoked sea salt, and chili garlic salt were excellent condiments.
I looked forward to the staple steakhouse side dish, creamed spinach. The chef had recently revamped the recipe with subtle Asian flavors and toasted sesame seeds. While my friend extolled the spinach, I reached for second helpings of the LB Signature Potato. For dessert, we shared cheesecake and a 100 Year Port Tasting aged from 10 to 40 years.
The Lot restaurant attached to The Lot cinema rebranded as ZENTRL Kitchen + Bar with an upgraded menu serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At lunchtime, a friend and I veered to the Shareables menu featuring good movie fare with California and Asian influences. We enjoyed Kobe sliders with onion jam and Baja shrimp bao buns. Flatbreads, bowls, sushi, and entrées are also menued. We shared a delicious Warm Apple Blossom dessert that we named a deconstructed apple pie. The beverage list is comprehensive with cocktails such as a Smoky Coco Mezcalita, draft beer and wine.
Ramen Hiroshi is a cozy spot on the second floor. I liked the generous portion of shoyu chicken ramen. Choosing the Hiyashi Chuka, my friend ate cold ramen for the first time. He noted that the summer special was ideal in hot weather with tomato and cucumber added to the traditional flavors of pork chasu (slices of loin). We bumped into Wentao Zhang there with his family. Young Zach told me what he ate at lunch. “The lotus root chips because they are like potato chips.” Zhang added that the chips are a treat not commonly served at restaurants. Zhang recommended Marugame Udon downstairs where his family often dined, but he warned about a long line. A large, Japan based chain, the cafeteria style restaurant serves noodle and rice bowls with accompaniments.
We got waylaid before going downstairs. We met Pac-man the Harris falcon and his trainer, Ricky Ortiz of the Falcon Force group, hanging out by the railing overlooking Alexander Square. We are aware that other visitors have seen Pac-man. City Center contracts with the company to bring a falcon several times a week. “Red-winged blackbirds like to forage for food scraps on the central plaza and then rest in the tall trees and leave a mess. Pac-man scares them away,” said Ortiz.
The patio at Fieldwork Brewing Co. is the busiest of the company’s nine Bay Area locations, said our server Erin Polkinghorn, a five-year employee of the Berkeley-based brewery. An early City Center denizen, Fieldwork has a dedicated fan base with people of all ages gathering inside and on the patio. The signature beer is Pulp, a hazy IPA that I like, but I followed the pickle craze and sipped Fieldwork Dill & Ted’s pickle lager, a drinkable rendition of the crazy combo. The menu is standard pub fare with an outstanding house made pretzel.
I had no intention of ordering a takeout Roam burger, but I was curious why the full name is Roam Artisan Burgers. The menu panel noted that the owner sources only from farmers and ranchers “who share our commitment to the land.” Example: the grass fed beef is listed from 4K Ranch in Montana. The counter clerk told us the owner has celiac disease and serves many gluten-free options such as buns and beer. To avoid cross-contamination, fried chicken has a gluten-free coating and is deep fried in a separate unit. I took home a summer special, a bison burger with fresh mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, balsamic reduction and pumpkin seed pesto which was a gourmet delight.
City Center is hosting new dining outlets. Khaki with Indian specialties is now open in the former Curry Up Now space reimagined by the same owner. By the end of the year, Meyhouse opens with a full jazz bar and will feature Turkish small plates and seafood in the former Dumpling Time spot.
Several September City Center events enable Tri-Valley residents to sample new food and drink options. The Taste of City Center, like a 10-day restaurant week event, will be held September 19th to 28th with quick bites, special prix fixe menus, and limited-time dishes at some outlets. On September 28th, the September Sips ticketed event features selections from 10 Livermore Valley wineries paired with small bites.
Diverse tastes can enjoy many food and drink options at City Center.
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